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Miklos Files Criminal Complaint Against Harabin for Obstructing Audit
Wednesday 18 August 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, August 18 (TASR) - Finance Minister Ivan Miklos (SDKU-DS) on Wednesday filed a criminal complaint against Supreme Court chairman Stefan Harabin for obstructing the ministry's attempts to carry out an audit at the Court, the Finance Ministry announced on the same day.
The criminal complaint dealing with Harabin's alleged misconduct was submitted to the Police Corps Presidium as well as to the Prosecutor-General's Office.
According to Mikulas Gera from the ministry, the Supreme Court chairman abused his powers by not allowing the ministry to audit the Court. "As the Supreme Court chairman is repeatedly obstructing a government audit there is a justified suspicion that he is trying to prevent the discovery of illegal public-resource management at the Court," added Gera.
Harabin has been refusing to allow Finance Ministry officials to audit the Court's accounts for over two weeks, arguing in writing to the ministry that the only body with the power to audit the Supreme Court is the Supreme Audit Office (NKU), as the Court uses funds approved in Parliament. Four attempts to carry out audits have been thwarted to date.
Miklos said that checking on public spending is within the purview of his ministry, and not even the Supreme Court can choose whether the Supreme Audit Office or the Finance Ministry should carry out audits. The ministry conducted similar audits at the Supreme Court in 2007 and 2009.
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